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Google Maps has been around since 2005 and since then, the platform has expanded to the point where it offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, 360° interactive panoramic views of streets, even real-time traffic conditions and route planning.

However, as a byproduct of all these cameras constantly documenting the world, we also get countless weird, awkward, and hilarious moments preserved online forever. The subreddit ‘Google Maps Shenanigans’ is full of screenshots capturing exactly that, from strange street encounters to perfectly timed coincidences, funny technological glitches, and much, much more.

Click here & follow us for more lists, facts, and stories.

#1

Google Maps Approved My Photo For The Vet

Google Maps Approved My Photo For The Vet

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    #2

    I'm Glad Google Is Taking Cow Privacy Seriously

    I'm Glad Google Is Taking Cow Privacy Seriously

    nomanskyprague1993 Report

    #3

    Deformed Horse Glitch

    Deformed Horse Glitch

    Uh-oh, looks like a new breed of horse! This was in State Of Bahia, Brazil.

    Bulky-Afternoon2169 Report

    #4

    Someone’s Dog Chasing The Street View Car

    Someone’s Dog Chasing The Street View Car

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    #5

    Weird City In The Middle Of The Desert

    Weird City In The Middle Of The Desert

    asunyra1:

    I’ve helped build that city and take it back down again about a dozen times over the last 25 years : )
    It’s “Black Rock City”, aka Burning Man

    fortnitefishyman Report

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    #6

    Paratroopers During An Exercise

    Paratroopers During An Exercise

    Spotted in Argentina.

    VanillaFine3920 Report

    #7

    Shout Out To The Google Streetview Guy In 2016 Who Did His Job At Night

    Shout Out To The Google Streetview Guy In 2016 Who Did His Job At Night

    Sufficient_Two_5753 Report

    #8

    Found A Plane Flying Over Cape Town Airport

    Found A Plane Flying Over Cape Town Airport

    awtizme:

    Wow it's literally a 3D object lol
    Altitude is 1.09km

    No idea what the thing attached underneath is

    oretah_ Report

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    #9

    Saw This While I Was Just Looking At My Area On Google Earth

    Saw This While I Was Just Looking At My Area On Google Earth

    wiseguy4519:

    This is probably a seam between two different data sources for elevation.

    CallofDuty3329 Report

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    #10

    This Is Slightly [annoying] Me Off

    This Is Slightly [annoying] Me Off

    Hans-Dieter_Franz Report

    #11

    Ah Yes, The Good 'Ol Days When Maps Would Tell You To Swim 3,000 Miles Across An Ocean

    Ah Yes, The Good 'Ol Days When Maps Would Tell You To Swim 3,000 Miles Across An Ocean

    Sufficient_Two_5753 Report

    #12

    Maps Suggested I Rent A Scooter To Cross A River (There's No Bridge)

    Maps Suggested I Rent A Scooter To Cross A River (There's No Bridge)

    Jesus Christ on an electric scooter.

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    #13

    University Of Edinburgh

    University Of Edinburgh

    frankieepurr Report

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    #14

    Rip The Invisible Stone (Hannover, Germany)

    Rip The Invisible Stone (Hannover, Germany)

    At a gas station driveway in Groß-Buchholz (Hannover, Germany) there once was an unassuming stone that was invisible to any motorist coming along … the little rock turned out to be one of the best-rated sites in Hannover, with 167 Google reviews averaging 4.9 stars, most of which are absolutely savage (search for Der unsichtbare Stein). Unfortunately, his outstanding camouflage abilities lead to him being removed by the city - as can be seen from a recent Google Maps picture - but his memory lives on.

    PetitAneBlanc Report

    #15

    Can Anyone Tell Me What Is This Or What Is Happening Here?

    Can Anyone Tell Me What Is This Or What Is Happening Here?

    TIMPA9678:


    It's an artificial pond used for weapons testing. They put boats in and shoot them as well as testing underwater explosives.

    addictivestuff Report

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    Never miss a story that brings joy to the world. Follow on Google News

    #16

    Weird Part Of France Where Everything Is Purple

    Weird Part Of France Where Everything Is Purple

    n108bg:

    Looks like le infrared camera?

    Anon:

    Yep, the part of the camera that filters out infrared is broken or missing. Fun fact: every digital camera can capture infrared light, it just gets filtered out.

    Chayzer999 Report

    #17

    This Route Is Only Legally Possible Like This

    This Route Is Only Legally Possible Like This

    Dense_Govt1506:

    This is not even possibile because Moroccan-Algerian border is closed since 1984. You have o cross the Gibraltar Strait and get a ship back to Algeria.

    Hot-Mouse9809 Report

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    #18

    Two Women In Japan Waving At Google Earth Car!

    Two Women In Japan Waving At Google Earth Car!

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    #19

    I Found A Lightning Mcqueen In Belgium

    I Found A Lightning Mcqueen In Belgium

    This is actually a Mazda MX5 Miata from 2016 and up.

    Bulky-Afternoon2169 Report

    #20

    Abandoned Real-Estate Development In Dubai; The Streets Are Covered In Sand

    Abandoned Real-Estate Development In Dubai; The Streets Are Covered In Sand

    redditaccount760 Report

    #21

    Airplane Rat King

    Airplane Rat King

    Surely all these planes can’t be stored like this? Can anyone explain what I’m seeing? I assume this is multiple pictures overlaid.

    Correct-Water9057 Report

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    #22

    Same Guy, Same Place, Same Jacket, But 3 Years Appart

    Same Guy, Same Place, Same Jacket, But 3 Years Appart

    This guy waited 3 years at the same spot for the streetview car to come back.

    Geologue-666 Report

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    #23

    How Are Kids Supposed To Play On This Installation?

    How Are Kids Supposed To Play On This Installation?

    astrocrat:

    "Sit in the short tube" was my favorite game as a child.

    Navstar27 Report

    #24

    Looky The Little Adorable Lambs!

    Looky The Little Adorable Lambs!

    Now get away from the street. Drivers do not care about the lives of others.
    [52°32'04.4"N 3°42'06.7"W]

    LoganPine Report

    #25

    A Floating Head At The Georgia Guide Stones

    A Floating Head At The Georgia Guide Stones

    FrillyLlama Report

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    #27

    16 Years Ago, £1 For A Pizza And £8 For A Family Meal. Crazy Times

    16 Years Ago, £1 For A Pizza And £8 For A Family Meal. Crazy Times

    MumsSpagBowl Report

    #28

    Half Of Brest Is Censored Out

    Half Of Brest Is Censored Out

    N**W

    atom644 Report

    #29

    For Anyone Wondering Why America Drives So Many Cars, This Is Why

    For Anyone Wondering Why America Drives So Many Cars, This Is Why

    I spent 7 years living in Germany and traveled much of Europe. It opened my eyes to how efficient and convenient public transportation is when networked across a whole continent. I grew up in rural Georgia (US) and never gave public transit a second thought. Now that I'm back, America feels really behind.

    8Maruchan8 Report

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    #30

    Found An Accident In Japan And Also Completed An Investigation

    Found An Accident In Japan And Also Completed An Investigation

    MrCloppity Report

    #31

    Elon Musk Naming A Street At The Spacex Facility In Texas "Memes Street"

    Elon Musk Naming A Street At The Spacex Facility In Texas "Memes Street"

    25°59'30.1"N 97°11'00.0"W

    reddit.com Report

    #32

    Weird Flying Skull And Monk?

    Weird Flying Skull And Monk?

    So I found this by wanting to see how much snow was in Alaska weirdly enough. My husband was considering taking a job there so I checked Google Maps. How did I end up looking at this specific point? I remembered the old story I was told in grade school about the person naming Iceland and Greenland the opposite of each other and pulled the map over there. Then I saw weird strand like images and zoomed in to try to figure out what they were. I believe they are ice but this little dot was the closest point to the ice strand things. Any thoughts on if this is a real... statue? It is so strange and to me looks edited in. If it is edited in, how do they end up doing it? This is my first post so sorry if the editing question has been answered before in a different post. Thank you!

    magicmike87:

    This is a user upload opposed to a street view image. This person has contributed a few hundred times and often contains wacky pixel art.

    KittyCorazon Report

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    #33

    The"Volvo Island" Now Has A Second Volvo

    The"Volvo Island" Now Has A Second Volvo

    CakeDOTexe Report

    #34

    Street View Facial Recognition Blurs Out The King Of NY Biggie Memorial In Brooklyn

    Street View Facial Recognition Blurs Out The King Of NY Biggie Memorial In Brooklyn

    AmateurJenius Report

    #35

    Circleville

    Circleville

    WelchRedneck Report

    #36

    I Was Browsing On Google Maps And Saw A Completely Censored Area. I Think It Might Be Someone’s House, But I’ve Never Seen Anyone Have Their Private Property Censored Before

    I Was Browsing On Google Maps And Saw A Completely Censored Area. I Think It Might Be Someone’s House, But I’ve Never Seen Anyone Have Their Private Property Censored Before

    While browsing Google Maps, I found a symmetrically censored area. There isn’t even the smallest settlement around it, and the surroundings are completely rocky with no structure that looks like a pier. Do you think it’s an error, or could it be a military area? Link

    Opposite_Bus1878:

    It's basically just some rock outcrop.

    daldaley Report

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    #37

    What Does This Node Represent?

    What Does This Node Represent?

    I saw this when looking at JFK airport and it looks common around different parts of airports. I'm sure its obvious but any info would be interesting.

    Longjumping_Gap_9325:

    Ticketed Turnstiles from what I can tell? This is at SFO in the BART area.
    That or paper shredder locations to take care of any paperwork before security or Customs & Border?

    reddit.com Report

    #38

    Dentist Appointment

    Dentist Appointment

    DowntownClassic1738:

    Looks more like the piercing, there’s no tattoo machine seen, no barrier covers, the package from steriliser laying on the table - not the tattoo setup definitely.

    Jacksfan2121 Report

    #39

    This Tunnel Progressively Turns Pink

    This Tunnel Progressively Turns Pink

    got-a-friend-in-me Report

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    #40

    Breaking The Law Is A Serious Crime In Oyo State, Nigeria

    Breaking The Law Is A Serious Crime In Oyo State, Nigeria

    Found this message from the government of Oyo State in Eruwa (7°32'20.5"N 3°25'28.7"E)

    SeveralDependent8602 Report

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    #41

    Why Are These Businesses On The Moon?

    Why Are These Businesses On The Moon?

    UniversalFlameGame Report

    #42

    Quick Detour Through The Hotel Lobby?

    Quick Detour Through The Hotel Lobby?

    Prookarus Report

    #43

    Random Field In Ohio Labeled "Kjbkn", Complete With A Designated Entrance

    Random Field In Ohio Labeled "Kjbkn", Complete With A Designated Entrance

    red_brobster421 Report

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    #44

    There’s A Few Streets Around Eccles, Manchester, UK Where The Street View Camera Is Of Inside The Car Rather Than The Street

    There’s A Few Streets Around Eccles, Manchester, UK Where The Street View Camera Is Of Inside The Car Rather Than The Street

    Link

    wardyms Report

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    #45

    Blued Out Cars?

    Blued Out Cars?

    BeachProducer:

    Those are plastic wrapped boats for long term storage. The business is Boulder Marine Center & many ship yards use basically a shrink wrap for storage protection.

    InternPlantAddict Report

    #46

    Streetview Car Drives Up Driveways?

    Streetview Car Drives Up Driveways?

    42.504387721572456, -83.45006802754308.

    Organic_Award5534:

    The driver is told to drive all roads in the prescribed area, but there are a few reasons driveways or private roads could be captured:

    Some of the roads in the area might be very narrow and the driver mistook the driveways for narrow roads.

    The driver is very new to the job and want to do the job thoroughly - Google marks many driveways and road on maps and this may have thrown off the driver.

    These small roads might actually be classed public roads, despite looking like driveways. Can happen in rural areas where people have long driveways.

    Another reason is that the driver was told to be more thorough this time as the area is lacking in street view coverage. Sometimes local areas ask Google to be more thorough because they benefit from Streetview in some way.

    reddit_god694200 Report

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    #47

    Aye Aye, Cap’n! I’ll Just Take A Curved Detour Through A Bunch Of Buildings Then

    Aye Aye, Cap’n! I’ll Just Take A Curved Detour Through A Bunch Of Buildings Then

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    #48

    Found This Structure With A Moat Around It In Cottageville, SC. Can’t Find Any Info On It

    Found This Structure With A Moat Around It In Cottageville, SC. Can’t Find Any Info On It

    junipertwist:

    It's a house, 12146 Round O Rd, Round O, SC 29474

    PineappleFirefighter Report

    #49

    It Looks Like Google Maps Has Already Started Documenting The Demolition Of The East Wing Of The White House

    It Looks Like Google Maps Has Already Started Documenting The Demolition Of The East Wing Of The White House

    User Report

    #50

    Home Extension

    Home Extension

    Navstar27 Report

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    #51

    The Elusive 6x2 Camaro

    The Elusive 6x2 Camaro

    42.278477° -88.150577°

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    #52

    Uhhh (Saint-Aubin, France)

    Uhhh (Saint-Aubin, France)

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    #53

    There's A Permanently Parked Plane In Costa Rica That Has Pics All Around It

    There's A Permanently Parked Plane In Costa Rica That Has Pics All Around It

    StuD44 Report

    #54

    Baldwin Street, New Zealand. The Steepest Street In The World. You Bet I Would've Sent It Down Here On My Bike When I Was Younger

    Baldwin Street, New Zealand. The Steepest Street In The World. You Bet I Would've Sent It Down Here On My Bike When I Was Younger

    MumsSpagBowl Report

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    #55

    What Is This Weird Jet On Cvn 77 In Google Maps. It Was At Naval Station Norfolk

    What Is This Weird Jet On Cvn 77 In Google Maps. It Was At Naval Station Norfolk

    It looks like a mini b1 lancer because of its (probably) swept wings.

    cyanide_sunrise2002:

    Looks like a hornet. Perhaps an image artifact making the wings look weird.

    Fleetwyre Report

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    #56

    Excellent Suggestion Google Maps 👏

    Excellent Suggestion Google Maps 👏

    norwegian_unicorn_ Report

    #57

    Thanks Google, I Like Doing Completely Useless Loops For No Reason At All

    Thanks Google, I Like Doing Completely Useless Loops For No Reason At All

    I've seen Google give some pretty whack directions before, but this one makes absolutely no sense to me.
    When travelling from the top left to the bottom right, if transportation mode is set to biking or walking, this is the directions it give for either of the 2.
    Instead of just simply crossing the bridge, which has a shared pathway from biking and walking, it's suggesting I get off the road, take a trailway down the hill, then cross under the bridge, then come back up the hill on the other side of the road, then onto the shared pathway on the left side of the road, and then cross the bridge over the river.
    No, let's not use the crosswalk to get to the left side of the road and then just simply cross the bridge on the shared pathway on the left side of the bridge. That would be too difficult.
    Also, on a bike, I'm not even obligated to use the shared pathway, I could also just stay on the right side of the road and cross the bridge on the road with the cars. But even if it wants me to stay on the shared pathway, there's still absolutely no reason for this loop de loop down and under the bridge and back up 🤣

    APickledMelon Report

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    #58

    A Giant Cruise Liner Emerged In The Tilted 45° View

    A Giant Cruise Liner Emerged In The Tilted 45° View

    While exploring Helsinki on Google Maps, I came across something interesting in the 45° tilted view, something that wasn’t visible at all in the standard 2D imagery.
    In the regular map tiles, nothing noteworthy. But switch to the 45° view (pseudo 3D), and suddenly, a massive cruise ship appears docked at the harbor. After a bit of searching, I found out it might be the Carnival Splendor.
    You can still see it here on the map (as of now): https://h2h.run/CTILW9WAC/IO6/ (60.152992°, 24.914309°)
    What’s especially disappointing is that Google Maps’ 45° view API is scheduled to be discontinued soon, something I only found out yesterday.
    While the high-res 3D tiles have their strengths, they often suffer from severe distortion at close range. In contrast, the 45° imagery offers a more photorealistic and grounded view, and occasionally captures interesting scenes, like this cruise ship.

    No_Beautiful9412 Report

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    #59

    Ryan Dunn's Skid Marks From His Crash :(

    Ryan Dunn's Skid Marks From His Crash :(

    Wood_Yi Report

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